Golden Globes: How shock wins have shaken up the Oscars race

Moore’s performance as a TV personality cast aside for a younger replacement (Margaret Qualley) is strong, but the Oscar campaign needs more than that, and she has the kind of narrative arc that will appeal to voters. She intelligently emphasized this in her acceptance letterstarting with the fact that she has never received an award for acting in her entire long career. She mentioned her insecurities, and how a producer told her 30 years ago that she was a “popcorn actress” who could make money but couldn’t be taken seriously, an idea she took home — a nice touch of modesty. Then she said: “Since I was in a bad state, this creative script, out of the box, came across my desk, called The Substance.” This kind of return is in the interest of voters, as was the case when this happened Ke Huy Quan won an Oscar for Everything Everywhere All at One After leaving acting for decades. It helps that the “substance” theme, the necessity and high cost of vanity and stardom in Hollywood, resonates with voters.

Torres, a veteran actress but hardly a Hollywood star, was a bigger surprise, but her win was well-deserved. Her fierce, understated performance is the heart of Walter Salles’s “Still Here,” in which she plays a woman whose husband, a former politician, was among the disappeared victims of Brazil’s military dictatorship in the 1970s. Torres letter It included a touching dedication to her mother, Fernanda Montenegro, who plays her character’s mother in the film and who was nominated for a Globe and an Academy Award 25 years ago for another of Sallis’s films, Central Station. Torres was among the few winners whose speech commented, indirectly, on the state of the world, connecting the resilience her character needs to the present day. “There is something going on in the world right now with a lot of fear. This film helped us think about how to survive in difficult times like these,” she said. It’s a hopeful message delivered with grace and one that Hollywood will likely welcome.

More like this:
• Why is The Substance the most divisive movie of 2024?
• A wicked author on the story that captivated the world
• 10 films that got the biggest buzz at the Oscars early on

Of course, this turmoil only serves to put Moore and Torres on the minds of Oscar voters (and, for Moore, BAFTA voters, as well). You made the long list). The Globes can be a bad prediction because dividing the main categories into comedy and drama doubles the number of nominees. But Moore and Torres overcame the toughest competition. Moore beat three potential Oscar nominees, Mickey Madison (Anura) and Carla Sofia Gascón (Emilia Perez) and Cynthia Erivo (evil). Torres’ class included Nicole Kidman (Babygirl), Angelina Jolie (Maria(And Tilda Swinton)Next room). All eight of these actresses are now in the game of Oscar musical chairs, a game in which Moore and Torres weren’t necessarily players just a few days ago.

Sebastian Stan’s win for best actor in a musical or comedy for A Different Man is unlikely to have the same effect. The real competition there was in the drama category, with Oscar front-runners Adrien Brody (Brutal) and Timothée Chalamet (Completely anonymous) They compete head-to-head and Brody wins. Stan’s surprise win was likely a validation of his career and a small prize as he faced some weak competition. Glenn Powell L Hitman And Gabrielle LaBelle Saturday night Sounds like moves to fill that category. After all, it’s rare for the Golden Globes to heat up the race the way Best Actress has. Often, they boost Oscar chances, as happened with Kieran Culkin, who won Best Supporting Actor for A Real Pain and looks like a lock to win the Oscar.

Perhaps the most important thing about this year’s Golden Globes is its timing. Voting for the Academy Awards nominations ends next Sunday, January 12, which means the Oscars have arrived in time to allow voters to weigh in on the new awards landscape.

—

If you liked this story Subscribe to the Essential List newsletter – A handpicked collection of unmissable features, videos and news, delivered to your inbox twice a week.

For more culture stories from the BBC, stay tuned Facebook, X and Instagram.